THEME FOR 2018: INTERSECTIONS BETWEEN LITERATURE AND REALITY

As both consumers and re-disseminators of literature, teachers often have to deal with a central question of relevance. Why do the clearly archaic styles of Shakespeare’s plays or Chaucer’s poetic tales matter? Of what interest to a modern reader is the setting of The Great Gatsby? What of writers from countries that a majority of students are likely never to visit, or those who write fantasy and science fiction? Can the sublime grandeur of the pride of Milton’s Satan, who proclaimed that it was “better to reign in Hell, than serve in Heaven,” continue to resonate in an increasingly secular world? Is the literary canon, defended so fervently even today by critics such as Harold Bloom, something which still has meaning? Did it ever exist at all in the first place? Can the teaching of literary theory still be justified?

These – and a thousand other related questions – shall form the starting point for the 9th annual Liberlit conference of 2018. The central theme is the intersection between literature and the real world, and it is hoped that this will inspire a multiplicity of approaches, whether pedagogic, theoretical or personally reflective.

CALL FOR PAPERS

CALL FOR PAPERS! The Liberlit conference is an ongoing forum for literature teachers and academics based in Japan that addresses attitudes and approaches to literary texts in English, and seeks to discuss how and why literature should figure in Japan’s English curriculum. Proposals on topic areas related to the 2018 theme “Intersections between Literature and Reality” (broadly interpreted) are invited from teachers and researchers wishing to present a paper. Other proposals on topics related to subjects such as the teaching of literature, classroom methodology or the future of the humanities will also be considered. Those wishing to present should send a title and abstract of 200 words, as well as current affiliation. Panel proposals are also invited.

DEADLINE
The deadline for proposals is midnight on: December 20, 2017

ACCEPTANCE EMAILS
Acceptance emails will be sent on or before: January 9, 2018